Soap-based cleaning compositions traditionally rely on neutralization of a fatty acid with an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, amine or alkanolamine, such as monoethanolamine ("MEA") or triethanolamine ("TEA"). These compositions provide non-gelled dispersions of the soap in the remaining matrix, usually because the soap is below its Krafft point at ambient conditions. The Kraffi point is the temperature above which the solubility of a surfactant increases sharply (i.e., micelles begin to be formed). Unfortunately, these traditional soap dispersions are opaque and can be inhomogeneous. Alternatively, a hard soap cake or bar is formed. In either case, these soaps contain a majority of solidified components, with water being a lesser constituent at approximately from 15-40% by weight. The soap may itself be a smaller fraction of about 25-50% by weight. For a liquid soap, the same behavior typically occurs with a soap concentration of about 15% by weight. Accordingly, it has been difficult for the industry to economically produce soap-based compositions which can readily assimilate a wide variety of compounds while maintaining homogeneity.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide homogeneous soap-based compositions at a broad range of soap concentrations.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide soap-based compositions that can be optically transparent.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide soap-based compositions that can readily incorporate anionic and nonionic surfactants, solvents, and ionic salts.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide soap-based compositions that are insensitive to wide temperature changes.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide soap-based compositions which are biodegradable.